In modern cryptography, cryptographic keys (or simply “keys”) are used by encryption circuits or logic to determine how data is to be encrypted and/or decrypted. For example, a key may specify the particular transformation to be performed on input data during encryption, and/or the reverse process during decryption. Keys may also be used in other types of cryptographic operations, such as generating digital signatures, and/or message authentication.
Distributed computing environments often use a “master encryption key” for certain types of data encryption performed by the devices they contain. In some systems, the master encryption key is required in order to perform certain encryption operations that must occur during the start-up process for individual devices. Accordingly, the master key may be required to re-start a device after a power loss, or to set up a newly added device. Because master encryption keys are often used to perform basic, underlying encryption operations, they must be stored securely, so that the security of both the individual devices and the overall computing environment is maintained.